A Home For Pongo
by Rumbella
Summary: "The royal family left his shop, failing to note that they had forgotten entirely about the tired dalmatian sitting at Gold's feet." Gold and Belle decide what to do with Pongo, coming to a decision that delights the both of them, though Rumplestiltskin won't admit it. The dog brings about a change in the couple that they never imagined possible. AUish.
1. Chapter 1

**For the dearie that requested it and my fellow Rumbellers that are worrying as much as I am about next week. The Canadian promo has me so worried. I am confident Belle will be fine though! **

**Anyway, enjoy. **

**I own nothing but my fangirling heart.**

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The royal family left his shop, failing to note that they had forgotten entirely about the tired dalmatian sitting at Gold's feet.

He scowled lightly, shaking his head. He was not angry at all that they had accused him of murdering Archie Hopper. He was angry that they dared to treat Belle with such contempt. She of all people would know what Regina was capable of. Yet Emma Swan looked upon her as if she knew nothing. It boiled his blood.

He looked to Belle, noticing her silence. She was standing, her hand lightly touching his counter as she frowned at the ground. It was then that he noted that Pongo had trotted over to her, staring up at his beloved lionheart with sad eyes, whining softly. Belle noticed the dog, suddenly smiling with a soft laugh. "Poor thing." she murmured, crouching to stroke the dog's head. "They forgot about you too, huh?" she murmured, rubbing his back. "Oh, the things you have seen…"

She looked up to Rumple, a frown forming on her beautiful face. "Who will watch him?" she questioned.

He approached the two, slowly kneeling besides Belle, mindful of his knee as he adjusted it to join her in petting the traumatized dog. "I doubt the royal family will have much time to find this poor chap a home." he hastily remarked, tutting softly. "Such a good chap too, aren't you?" he almost cooed at the dog.

Belle watched him with such fondness as he focused on spoiling the dog, a smile playing at her lips. She'd been a bit tiffed at the way the Charmings had treated her. They stared at her as if she had grown horns on her head overnight, as if she had no clue about anything going on in this town. Belle knew very well that Regina was quite capable of murder. There was no question to that. But now, seeing Rumplestiltskin interact with poor Archie Hopper's dog made her feel a blustering joy inside of her chest.

"You know, in all of the stories I've ever read, animals seem to have a sense for evil. Pongo seems quite taken with you. Even he seems to agree you're not a monster." she quipped, a grin on her face as she stood.

"Indeed." Gold agreed. "Or perhaps I've just placed him under a light sedation spell to deal with his recent loss." he shot back, smirking at her.

Belle wondered how they could joke so easily after a death, but she was now happy. "I think we should keep him, Rumple." she said, gently leaning down to link her arm through his as he stood to help him remain steady. "He loves you. Don't you, Pongo?"

Pongo, hearing his name, bashfully wagged his tail, panting lightly.

Gold internally groaned as he turned to see Belle pouting. Her bottom lip was sticking out lightly and he almost had to urge to kiss the daylights out of her right there in front of the poor dog. She had defended him against the accusations of the royal family without a second thought, after all. "I _am_ a dog person." he agreed, gripping his cane as he stared down at the dog. "If you interrupt as everyone in this town has, I will have to kick you out." he told the dog seriously.

Pongo whined lightly, his tail thumping the ground.

"I think he promised to behave." Belle speculated.

"Fine. It's settled. We'll keep the dog." Gold told her, smirking pleasantly at her.

Belle's eyes widened, almost like a child's as she suddenly gave a squeal of delight. She caught him off guard as she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you!" she murmured, breath tickling his ear.

"You're very welcome, dearie." he replied softly, smiling as she pulled back. He wanted to kiss her so badly. So very badly. His entire body ached to do so. It was too soon though, much too soon. They were taking things slow, were they not?

"Well then." he stated, forcing his mind away from such thoughts. "Shall we resume our picnic?"

Belle nodded, but her smile faded as she looked off. "I…"

"What is it?" he asked earnestly.

"After seeing Dr. Hopper…" she stopped short, her voice cracking lightly.

"Of course, Belle, of course." he murmured, moving to hold her shoulders in his hands. "I understand." he softly spoke, wishing only to comfort her. "We can save it for another day." he assured, a smile on his face.

She gave an embarrassed smile, nodding. "Thank you, Rumplestiltskin. For everything."

"No, Belle, thank_ you_." he told her, eyes darkening with a passion of sorts.

Pongo barked, pulling them from their rather intense gaze at one another. Belle laughed, smiling fondly upon their new pet. "I think we should both thank Pongo. He's the hero of the day."

Pongo barked once more at his new found owners, almost as if he were agreeing.

Perhaps tomorrow they would be faced with something new, something trying, but for now, Rumplestiltskin and Belle were together.

No matter what happened, they would always remain this way. _**Together.**_

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_****_**Ugh...I'm left with so many feels! I had to get some good ones out! I'm not quite sure yet how I'd go about it, but would you guys like me to resume this? Please let me know!**

Thanks for reading, dearie!

**Review if you so desire to do so! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Here we are! I'm gonna continue this as the show goes on. Not quite sure how for some things, but I'll do my best!**

Please enjoy! :)

I own nothing but my fangirling heart.

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Neither mentioned anything about who Pongo would stay with as they walked out of the shop together, the dog trotting happily ahead of them.

Belle gripped his leather leash, smiling as she walked a bit closer to Rumplestiltskin, their shoulders brushing together with each step. Both secretly wished that the other would mention something about staying together again to properly take care of the dog, but neither would bring it up.

For now, they strolled to the pharmacy, hoping to purchase supplies for the dog. They could've taken what Archie had for the dog, but Gold insisted that they start out fresh.

Belle was fine with this. It would've felt wrong to keep Dr. Hopper's items for the dog. To feed Pongo from the bowl that a man who was now dead had once fed him from chilled her to the bone. She still felt a little nauseous after seeing Regina kill the man in the little dream catcher Rumplestiltskin had produced.

Belle focused on Pongo's walking as they neared the pharmacy. She was well aware that other Storybrooke residents were staring at them. What a silly family they made. The Dark One, an asylum escapee/librarian, and the dog of a dead man. Belle had to hide her huge grin at this thought by idly rubbing her nose. What a lovely misfit family they were!

They paused outside of the pharmacy, Gold pulling out his wallet. "No mutts inside." he told Pongo before nodding to Belle. "I'll go buy supplies for him, wait here with him while I'm inside?"

"I suppose I can manage that." Belle teased. It wasn't as if anyone was waiting to kidnap her or handcuff her out here? Maybe someone would interrupt this moment as so many others have?

"Are you sure?" he asked, tilting his head forward in mock seriousness.

"Oh stop it, you." she laughed, gently pushing him along. She strolled over to the bench sitting outside of the pharmacy, sighing contently as she sat. Belle idly stroked Pongo's head as she focused on the beautiful weather today. It was chilly, but the sun was out. It always seemed to be cold in Storybrooke. So often that she recalled taking one of Gold's jackets on more than one occasion, which she completely enjoyed. The jacket always smelled so strongly of him. It was a different smell from before. Before, he smelled of herbs and wood smoke, but in this town, in this world, he smelled of cologne. A very nice cologne.

"Pongo!"

She was broken from her thoughts as she saw Red running over, a smile on her face. "I was wondering who took him in!" she beamed, rubbing the dog's stomach as he patiently sat. The dalmatian was quite excited to see a familiar face. Especially Red's. His tail wagged so quickly that it became a blur as he practically tackled Ruby off of her feet.

Belle laughed, gently tugging the dog back. "Rumplestiltskin and I are taking him in." she told her friend, smiling slightly as she felt her cheeks heat up. Had she secretly agreed to move back in with Rumplestiltskin without even realizing it? Why was she even blushing?

"He certainly seems to like you." Red smiled, moving over to sit besides Belle. The woman started rubbing Pongo's head in a way that made his ears flap back and forth. The dog wore a tortured expression while this all happened, making Belle laugh. "I was going to take him, but I don't think I can manage..." she sighed, looking off across the street, her smile fading. "I'm so busy at the diner and thinking of poor Archie alone has me in tears..." she snuffled loudly, causing Belle to focus in on her, not wanting to see her friend cry. If any tears fell, Belle would be there to wipe them away. Ruby was the only person in this town that treated her like another human being, besides Rumple.

"Oh, Red..." she murmured, sighing as she shook her head. "I can't believe it either. To think that...that woman would do such a thing." she scowled, eyes darkening.

Ruby's voice grew frantic as she spoke again. "I saw her go in, Belle...I could've run in after her...maybe I could've-"

Belle silenced her with a gentle shush, placing her arm around her shoulders. "No, Red. She would've killed you too...I don't think Archie would've wanted that at all." she murmured.

Red gave a hasty laugh, wiping her eyes. "Look at me, crying like a little girl." she sniffled, noticing Pongo in front of her. Sensing her dismay, the dog had padded closer to Ruby, resting his head on her knee with a pathetic stare. "Oh baby..." Red sighed, hugging the dog's head. "I miss him too, but these two will be the best parents ever."

Belle flushed as Ruby called them "parents." She almost wanted to correct Ruby, but she wasn't sure she even wanted to. Was she really going to move back in with Rumple because of this poor dog?

As if on a cue, Rumplestiltskin emerged, Sneezy the dwarf quickly following him with a bag of dog food in his arms. Belle stood, knowing Pongo would stay put with Ruby as she walked over to take the bag of food from Sneezy. "Thank you." she told him sincerely with a smile. The man only nodded quickly before scurrying back into his shop, as if he expected Rumplestiltskin to kill him for staring at Belle the wrong way.

Gold immediately swapped her, giving her the large bag he held with what looked to be a dog bed and some other supplies inside. He held the bag of dog food under his arm, his other arm needed for his cane. He only glanced at Red, a tight smile on his face. "Ah, Miss Lucas, have you found a relative?" he nodded to Pongo.

Belle gasped, smacking his arm lightly. "That wasn't even remotely funny!" she scolded, frowning.

Red stood, giving a harsh chuckle. "Oh stop, Belle. I can defend myself. At least I've got fur, not scales." she spat back, smirking. Red stood, handing Pongo's leash off to her. "Take care of Pongo for me, okay?" she told Belle, planting a kiss on her cheek before walking back towards the diner, a hop in her step.

Gold frowned, quickly tucking his cane underneath his arm long enough to extract a silken tissue from his breast pocket. He hastily wiped the red lipstick from Belle's cheek, his nose twitching. Was he really jealous of her only friend in Storybrooke? Belle only smiled, shaking her head. "She's sad about Dr. Hopper." she informed him as they started walking back towards his shop.

"Hm. Those two were often the cause of some ridiculous gossip." he scoffed lightly. "A wolf and a cricket in love, to imagine how that would look in our land..."

Belle shot him a coy smile, shrugging. "We've made it work, so they could've done the same." her shoulders fell as she suddenly questioned if they had been in love. Now Red...this would be the third love she's lost. Poor thing.

They walked back to his shop, leaving their bags at the door. Belle unclipped Pongo's leash, letting the dog go off on his own as she pretended to look at something on the shelves. She wished so badly to just blurt out that she wanted to live with him again, but her heart wasn't letting her do so.

She turned around to see him right there, in front of her. The toes of their shoes were only inches apart.

"Belle..." Rumplestiltskin murmured, a thumb under her chin. Had he been thinking the same thing that she had? Thinking of losing him as Red had lost Archie? Or losing her? "I want you to come back...to live with me again." he told her, a sincere kindness in his eyes.

Belle struggled for words, stuttering lightly. "I...I, ah, would like that very much." she finally said. The apartment above the library had certainly been nice, but it was so lonely. She hated sleeping alone. It reminded her too much of her prison underneath the hospital. She would wake up alone and scared from the nightmares. When she had lived with Rumple, he always woke her with a gentle kiss to the forehead, soothing her fears.

He gave a chuckle. Was it a chuckle of relief? She didn't get the chance to think on it anymore, as he had closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to hers.

Belle was taken aback. It'd felt like ages since he had kissed her last. She had wanted to in the library so long ago. The pain on his face as he attempted to leave her, it killed her. Her hands gripped onto his face as he kissed her, her shoulders slumping lazily as they parted. Belle sighed, smiling. "Missed that..." she murmured, staring into his darkening eyes.

"I did too." he agreed quietly. She only smiled, pressing her lips to his again. This time, his hands fell down her back, lightly skimming the cloth of her top he rested both hands on her hips. The kiss deepened at his simple grip and she was about to give a content little groan when she felt something wet and cold nudge her leg.

She jerked back, looking down to see Pongo, staring at her with..._is that a scolding look in his eyes? _

He barked once, pushing himself between them.

Belle only could laugh breathlessly, shaking her head.

Gold scowled. "He'll be sleeping _outside _of the bedroom." he muttered darkly, frowning at the dog.

Pongo simply whined softly, his tail wagging as he stared at Gold.

"Oh stop it Rumple!" Belle gasped. "He loves you!" she stuck her lower lip out as she had when trying to convince him to keep the dog.

Gold swallowed hard, watching her do that adorable pouting face again. He wanted to kiss her before, now, he wanted to do other things. "Fine." he grunted hoarsely. "Here, boy." he murmured, giving Pongo a good rubbing on the back. "Let's take you home and get you settled in, eh?"

"Let's." Belle agreed, smiling contently at the scene before her.

She walked over, wordlessly clipping Pongo's leather leash back onto his collar. Gold headed out, hauling the bag of dog food with him yet again. Belle took the bag of Pongo's new things, following him with the dog. He shut off the lights in the shop, locking the door once he was outside. Belle smiled, wishing to hold his hand without causing the bag to fall.

She was aware of what the people in town thought of them. She remembered the whispers during their first date at Granny's. She wanted to flounce their relationship out to everyone and let them know that she wasn't being drugged or held against her will.

She was here with Rumplestiltskin because she loved him ever so dearly. Not because of any deal. Not because of any guilt. Only from love.

Belle's wishes to hold Rumple's hand started looking likely when she noticed the boy walking towards them known as Henry. Gold told her all about the savior's battle for him against Regina. Belle wasn't sure how she felt about Emma Swan anymore, but the boy had a sweet little smile.

"Want to earn a few dollars, lad?" Gold called to him as the boy smile bashfully at Belle.

"Depends on what you're asking." the boy shot back, a sly smile on his face.

"Smart boy." Gold praised, smirking. "Could you accompany Miss French and myself to my house and carry this bag of dog food? I wouldn't ask a lady to do such a thing."

"I'm perfectly capable of it though!" Belle added, winking at Henry.

The boy blushed lightly from her wink and smiled, shrugging. "I can do it for free!" he said, taking the bag from Gold's arm and wrapping his arms around the thing.

Gold watched Henry, amused. The boy was obviously trying to impress Belle. Little did he know, Belle was impressed enough from the fact that the boy didn't look at her as the other Storybrooke residents did. Thinking of the blatant stares made Gold scowl lightly. He shook the thoughts away, focusing back on Belle.

Belle released the plastic bag, allowing it to wrap around her wrist so she could reach out for his hand. How she had ached to feel his warm, calloused hand grip onto hers. They shared a gentle smile before he clasped onto her hand.

Henry stared back at the both of them, eyebrow raised. "You just want me to carry this just so you guys can hold hands?" the boy almost pouted. Gold smirked_. She's mine, laddie. _

Gold was thinking of a witty comeback when Belle interrupted his thoughts with a laugh. "No, Henry, of course not. You want to be a knight one day, correct?" she asked him kindly, her smile not fading one bit.

"Yeah, I guess so." he said, fondly watching Pongo trot ahead of them. "I'm gonna be a prince one day, but a knight sounds cool too!"

Belle nodded as the four walked together. "Ah, this is part of the Code of Chivalry, you know that?" she told him. Belle absolutely loved sharing her knowledge gained from reading so much. "Respecting woman and aiding the weak!" she spoke, a twinkle in her eye. "I suppose we're not weak at all, but you _are_ aiding us, Ser Henry. All knights follow the Code of Chivalry, so you are no exception!"

Henry's eyes brightened as she called him "Ser Henry." His expression was noble as he straightened his shoulders. "Of course. I knew that!" he claimed, watching her a little more closely.

Rumplestiltskin could easily see that the boy had already fallen head over heels for Belle within these few minutes. "You're not like all the other girls around here...Belle, right?"

"Yes." Belle only smiled at him. "How so? And how did you guess my name?" she questioned.

"You're not all wrapped up in girly stuff...I read your story. About you two. That's how I knew. I guessed." he smartly remarked, nodding to Rumplestiltskin. "You had all that love stuff, but you really liked to read and you were really brave." he told her. "All the other ladies in town are brave too, but you're like an underdog! Sometime you'll get the chance to rise against evil! You and Rumplestiltskin...and Pongo!"

Belle flushed, her smile modest. "Thank you, Henry..." she laughed softly. "Rumple and I have nothing to be afraid as long as our fearsome hound is with us!" she walked closer to Rumplestiltskin, shooting a secretive smile that adults often gave each other when entertained with children.

"And here we are." Rumplestiltskin announced as they approached his house. Belle had hardly noticed how quickly time had flown while she spoke to Henry. She released Rumple's hand so he could take the bag from the boy.

"Thank you, my knight." Belle murmured, leaning down to plant a kiss on Henry's cheek. The boy stared at her, his cheeks absolutely red as he wiped the kiss away with the back of his hand, pretending to be grossed out.

Gold almost snorted at the boy. He knew more about women than Prince Charming himself. Act tough and the women will swoon.

"We gotta talk again, Belle." Henry told her, grinning. "Pinkie promise?" he held a pinkie out, looking at her expectantly.

The way Belle gave a blank stare of confusion was rather adorable to Gold.

"Right...you were locked away." Henry sighed, frowning. He took Belle's hand, folded out her pinkie, and wrapped his own around it. "See? Now we're bound! We have to talk sometime now!"

Belle smiled, nodding. "Right then, I promise! Pinkie promise!" she proudly glanced back at Rumple, who only nodded with a smirk.

"See ya!" the boy waved as he took off running down the street, probably running home to tell his mother about his encounter.

"Well then!" Belle sighed happily, her hand on her hip. "Let's get this dog settled in, shall we?"

"We shall. I have some competition now, it seems. I'd better take that bag." Rumple attempted to grab for the bag while holding the dog food all at the same time, but Belle snatched it away, quickly darting ahead into the house.

"We will see, Rumplestiltskin, we will see!" she called, Pongo giving a happy bark as he sensed her sudden playfulness.

Rumple only grinned as he watched her go on. He couldn't help but feel excited himself to get their latest addition to their little family settled in.

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**I am now balancing this with my other Rumbelle series, Danse Macabre, which has more of my attention because the chapters are longer and a tad bit more complex for me.**

I'm going to try my best to update this when I can though. All of your reviews have been so very sweet! Thank you!  


**Thanks for reading, dearie!  
**

**Review if you so desire!  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm SO sorry I haven't updated this in forever. My time has been spent writing my senior project and Danse Macabre, which has been nominated for Best AU Belle in the T.E.A awards!**

Anyway, please enjoy chapter 3. A bit of filler fluff! And toy pirates! 

**I own nothing.  
**

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Belle had been coming downstairs from placing Pongo's new bed at the foot of their bed when she heard him.

Rumplestiltskin was speaking to Pongo, using the same soft voice he had upon first petting the dog in their shop. "Let's see here boy...We've got this for you, this and I figured you'd like this one quite a bit. I'd like to see you shred that one apart!"

If Belle's heart hadn't already melted, it was now burnt to a crisp. His tone was so...she couldn't quite explain it, but she could hear him talking in the same voice to a newborn, to a Baelfire. She smiled, quietly entering to see what he was so keen on the dog destroying.

Currently, Pongo was surrounded by a mass of various toys. Some were stuffed, some were made of rubber and one was simple rope. Pongo currently had a little rubber pirate toy in his mouth, gnawing on it with enthusiasm.

Belle smirked, shaking her head. "Rumplestiltskin, I do hope you don't intend to spoil a child like this." she teased, walking over and kneeling to look through the toys.

Upon hearing her voice, Pongo padded over to her, tail swinging back and forth as he nudged the toy against her thigh.

"I fully do." he told her quite seriously, a wistful glint in his eye.

Belle shook her head as she took the toy from Pongo, tossing it into the living room for the dog to run after. The dog ran with enthusiasm, ears completely perked up. Belle laughed softly at the sight. "I suppose I don't have a problem with that, as long as she is spoiled with books."

"She?" Gold asked, a mix between a questioning and confused expression on his face.

Pongo returned, uninterested with the pirate and was now sniffing through the other new toys. "Of course!" Belle frowned, looking up to him from showing Pongo the knotted rope that she assumed was intended for a battle of tugging between two people or in this case, a person and a dog. "You already have Baelfire." she told him, smiling. "So next in line, he'll have a sister."

Rumplestiltskin laughed, moving over to press his lips to her forehead. "Anything you want, sweetheart."

Belle's smile only widened. Whenever he called her that particular pet name, she always thought back on when she had remembered him not so long ago. After he had uttered that pet name, his lips had met hers. The first time since their last kiss. Belle idly traced her index finger along her lips at the recollection.

She looked down to see that Pongo sat before her, the rope falling from his mouth as he simply stared at Belle.

"What is it, Pongo? Tired of your new toys already?" she asked, a hand on her hip. "We can't be having that. Some poor dogs don't even have a single toy." she scolded.

The dog hesitantly wagged its tail once, restlessly adjusting his paws as he sat.

Belle frowned to Gold, who only laughed. "Gotta take a wee, boy?" he questioned. Rumplestiltskin shot a victorious little smirk over at Belle as the dog stood to face him, pushing at Rumple with its nose.

That night, the three had eventually moved into to Gold's room after dinner, Belle rather anxious and Rumplestiltskin feeling quite content. She had dressed in one of the lovely silken nightgowns that he had purchased for her once they had returned to Storybrooke after returning magic to the small town. Belle remembered how embarrassed he was to help her figure out what she needed to purchase. Many would've taken his stoic expression as a normal expression, but Belle knew he was completely unprepared to help her find clothing. He was rather happy to send her off with the sisters that owned the shop, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather.

He had no love for fairies, but the three had picked out some lovely outfits for Belle and treated her as if she were Aurora herself, so his hatred simmered down.

The hate could go to the Blue Fairy, anyway.

Belle smiled lightly as she caught sight of him, wearing nothing but a pair of what they called "briefs" in this world. Belle envied men for them, for they seemed extremely comfortable. She leaned up, pressing a tentative kiss to his jawline.

He tilted his mouth down, smirking maliciously as he pulled her into a rather sultry kiss, his arm snaking around her back to keep her pressed snugly against him.

Belle flushed, blinking with wide eyes as he pulled away. She hadn't gotten a kiss like _that _before. Their previous kisses had been of need, but this was of a different kind, which had her anxious.

He smirked, drawing her back. He was about to kiss her again when a whimper brought them apart. Pongo sat at their door, the needy expression he had earlier back on his spotted face.

Rumple growled, shaking his head. He murmured something along the lines of, "No better than the damned Charmings, this dog." as he went to find something to wear.

"No, I'll do it." she told him, pressing a hand to his bare chest. She had been reminded of his gnarled leg from his lack of pants. Each time she saw it, she grew more and more protective of keeping him out of pain. The stairs were always a challenge for him at the end of the day. She often would accompany him up and down them, holding his arm in both of hers to level out the weight that would normally be pressured upon his bad leg.

"Are you sure?" he gently questioned, taking her hand in his and pressing a flurry of kisses to her knuckles.

"Of course." she assured, smiling up at him. He was exhausted, this much was evident to her. His shoulders were hunched and the circles under his eyes were rather dark. She assumed that he had been spinning again last night. He probably did it all night because of her absence and this made her feel a tinge of guilt for not being here to help him somehow.

He also was worried. After the murder of Dr. Hopper, he had been more alert. He had wanted her to come back and live with him, had he not? "Pongo will protect me." she confidently told him, moving away to pull one of his heavy jackets from his closet over her night gown.

He retreated to his, no _their_ bed, switching the lamp on his bed stand on. Belle flipped the main light off, pleased to see that Rumplestiltskin currently had a book open. She led Pongo downstairs, taking his leather leash from the kitchen counter and clipping it on. "You have to promise to protect me, all right?" she informed the dog.

Pongo looked up at her with his dark, chocolate colored eyes. Belle swore they contained a glimmer of understanding.

"Good." she smiled, opening the door to let him lead her out to the front yard.

She stood barefoot on the pathway, loosely letting her arm follow the dog as he strode about the yard, sniffing the ground. The dog lifted his leg against the bushes and relieved himself, happily trotting back to Belle once his business was done. "What a good boy you are!" she praised, kneeling so she could be at his level.

The dog's tongue lolled from his mouth, a content expression settling on his canine features.

His ears perked, the expression fading completely as the dog quickly stood, uttering a growl. Belle's heart was racing from the shock of his sudden barking as she hesitantly followed his gaze into the dark. Pongo started barking in a low, threatening tone, much different from his usual barks. Belle frowned in confusion. The dog was barking across the street at one of the rooftops, but why?

Belle was frozen in place, her heart thudding rather hard now. If the dog was threatened, it must be something wrong. She recalled hearing the dog's angry growl towards Regina as she entered to speak to Archie. Pongo had known something was about to happen, hadn't he?

"Pongo...what is it?" she managed softly, voice quivering.

The dog turned, staring at her for a moment before glancing behind him. He pushed her with his nose, forcing her to stand. From there, the dog literally shepherded her back into the house. Belle locked the door behind her before falling down before the dog, wrapping her arms around his neck. She hugged Pongo, allowing herself to calm down before finally standing. "Thank you." she softly murmured, kissing the dog on the head before unleashing him.

She returned to bed, sighing lightly as she discarded Rumple's jacket back into the closet.

"What happened?" he asked, closing his book.

Belle peered at the cover to see that it wasn't even in English. Her mind started to float off as she struggled to think of what language it was. Perhaps a magic tongue?

"Belle?" he asked again, pulling her head down from the clouds.

"Erm, Pongo...was barking." she managed, crawling into bed beside him.

"I gathered that much. I may be old, but I'm not deaf, love." he almost was scolding her, but he had a light grin on his face.

She shot a look that she hoped would stop him from calling himself "old" again and drew the covers of their bed over her. "He was barking off in the dark...at a building across the street." she informed him. "Towards the rooftop." she decided to leave the part out about her freezing with fear.

"Oh." he simply exhaled, placing his book on his nightstand. "Must've been a bird."

"A bat, you mean?" Belle asked, frowning. He certainly didn't look like it was a simple bird.

"Whatever it was, it won't be of any problem to you or I." he assured, sliding closer so he could properly pull her into a one armed hug.

Belle snuggled closer, leaving her forehead burrowed against his chest. "Because Pongo will protect us?" she smirked against his skin.

He pressed his lips to the crown of her head, leaving them there as he chuckled. "Yes. I'd prefer it if you would take him with you wherever you may go. He will protect you."

His breath tickled her head, making her squirm enough to cause him to remove his lips and replace them with his chin. "Of course. It'll be nice to have some company in the library." she murmured, smiling. The library wasn't in working order yet. Belle had been working on getting the books organized. It got lonely spending the day alone, humming to herself as she cataloged and cared for each book. She did enjoy her alone time at first, but it eventually grew tiresome.

"Good." he leaned back, switching his light off before returning his arm to its previous position. "I love you, Belle." he used the same soft tone that he had used with Pongo earlier.

Despite her worriment and fears, Belle's eyes slid shut. She felt absolutely safe and sound in this moment. "I love you too, Rumplestiltskin." she recalled murmuring somewhere in there before falling asleep in his arms, Pongo curled up in his dog bed at the end of the bed.

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**Hope you enjoyed Pongo chewing on the pirate. It made me very happy! I've been very wrapped up with my other series as mentioned earlier, but I will try my best to resume this.**

Next Chapter: Belle wanders off to find Hook's ship with Pongo. The cocky pirate just might get an angry dog bite to the...well... 

**Thanks for reading, dearie!**

**Review if you desire to do so!  
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	4. Chapter 4

**In this chapter, Hook gets owned by Pongo. Just saying :) **

**Oh, but if you've got time, I really would appreciate it if you guys could head to this link and vote my story, Danse Macabre for Best Belle. It would mean so much to me. :) I know I'm against Nym, but I have hope!  
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** submit**

**Please enjoy! I own nothing! **

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A few mornings later, Belle woke to find that Rumple was gone from bed. She headed down the stairs, surprised to see Pongo laying out at the bottom of the steps, fast asleep. As soon as he heard her footsteps, the dog perked up, looking up at her with a modest sort of joy. Belle felt a sudden burst of love for the dog.

He was protecting her. Nobody would get up or down the stairs without waking Pongo. "My little hero." she softly cooed as she knelt down besides him, stroking his head.

Pongo's ears fell in a polite manner as his tail thumped against the floor as it wagged. He gave Belle a lick on the cheek. She beamed, rubbing his back before standing. "Now, let's find papa, shall we?" she stepped over the dog, heading into the kitchen to see a note on the counter her name scrawled on the front of it.

Belle felt like a lovelorn maiden for flushing, but the way her name looked in his handwriting made her heart do somersaults in her chest. She flipped the note open, silently reading Rumplestiltskin's writing.

_You looked so peaceful this morning that I couldn't bear to wake you._

_I am at the shop. If you need me for anything, call me as I showed you how._

_Don't forget to take Pongo with you._

_I love you._

_-R_

Belle beamed as she folded the note in two and headed back upstairs, tucking the folded note into the current book she was reading so she cold reread it later.

She took a quick shower and dressed for the day, smoothing out her skirt as she headed back downstairs. She had straightened her hair today, just as Ruby had shown her to do. Her friend had taken Belle under her wing, helping her understand these modern ways of hair styling and makeup application. Belle found that she enjoyed curling up in an armchair, painting her nails and listening to music from the device called an "Ipod" in this world that played music through two little ear pieces. Belle quite liked Mr. Gold's selection of music, a bit surprised by the softness of the songs.

Belle took the other device she had been recently taught how to use and tucked it into the pocket of her skirt. Rumplestiltskin had spent an evening with her, teaching her how to turn the cell phone on and dial his number. She had engraved the number into her brain, as he also helped her do. He'd occasionally quiz her on it at the most random of times to be sure.

Each time Belle would give a coy little smile and recite the number. She knew he wished she could just be with him the whole day. She almost could with the other opportunity the cell phone gave her. Texting. Belle had a difficult time with it because she needed to write each word out properly and have each sentence be grammatically correct. Ruby had gypped her from her number and often sent her texts with short little variations of words, which infuriated Belle beyond belief. She found herself using these shortened versions of the words when in a rush, but Rumpelstiltskin always wrote them out, no matter what. Sometimes Belle wondered if he used magic to cheat.

Nevertheless, she was thankful for this way to speak to him. She was also thankful that Rumplestiltskin had left a physical note instead of a text. It reminded her of home. Home at the Dark Castle where things were a bit simpler. No odd devices to send messages, but normal parchment.

She wore a wistful smile as she clipped Pongo's leash on and stepped outside with the dog, who was ecstatic to be out on the streets. Belle knew that Archie could always be found walking Pongo each day, carrying an umbrella with him, even on the sunniest days.

A sad pang tapped at her heart upon the thought. As if Pongo could feel it too, the dog paused at the end of the walkway to Rumplestiltskin's house and stared at Belle, a sympathetic look in his eyes.

"I'm fine, Pongo." she told the dog, smiling. "I just feel bad for you. I'm sure you miss him."

The dog padded over and nudged her leg, as if to say: _"You guys are my masters now!" _

Belle stroked Pongo's neck, nodding. "Right. You're our new child to care for."

The dog then proceeded to lead her to the library, happy to smell the ground as he went. Belle greeted each Storybrooke resident they passed with a kind nod, determined not to let the lingering gazes cause her any diffidence. She would make them see that Rumplestiltskin had changed, she would. She owed that much to him.

She wore a confident smile as they walked, though it wavered when Pongo decided to relieve himself on the bushes laying outside of Regina's house. Belle had to cover her mouth to hide her laughter as they resumed down the street, silently praising Pongo for his little act of defiance.

She unlocked the library and headed in with the dog, the smell of old books making her feel at ease. She shut the door behind her, leaving Pongo's leash looped around her wrist as she grabbed a few novels from the cart of books she had found stacked behind the old librarian's desk. She strode towards the right section of the library, about to let Pongo go off when the dog suddenly uttered a loud, booming bark.

She looked to the dog, shocked to see his hackles raised and teeth bared in a snarl as he slowly moved in front of her. Belle followed the dog's gaze, shocked to see a pirate of all things. Not just any pirate, but the hooked pirate that had tried to persuade information out of her in Regina's tower. The pirate that had slapped her across the face.

"We're closed." Belle coldly informed the man, a scowl on her face as she recalled the hopeful flicker of light she had felt when the pirate had claimed to be there to release her from that hell of a prison.

The pirate sneered at the dog, baring his own teeth as he shut the book he had been flipping through. "I'm not here for the books, love." he smirked, his gaze not leaving Pongo's. "Has a dog on his woman now?" he nodded to the dalmatian with a grin. "That won't stop me, I'm afraid."

"You're the one that wanted to kill Rumplestiltskin." she stated, her lips formed in the most disgusted of sneers.

"Aye, and I intend to do just that, love. First, I'll break his heart." he shot what he probably assumed was a charming smirk, but Belle found it quite repulsive.

She shot him a dirty look before she ran, followed behind by Pongo, who gave a set of loud barks as the two ran to the cart full of books. The man had taken the back room and soon was standing in front of her, divided off by the cart. "You won't kill him." Belle boldly informed the pirate. Pongo gave a loud growl after she said so, as if to agree with his mistress.

"I'll settle for you." the man snarled, before motioning to lunge around the cart. Belle was faster.

She shoved the cart full of books on him, quickly wheeling around and sprinting for the old elevator in the center of the library, yanking Pongo along with her before slamming her first on the button that opened the heavy set of doors. Belle knew learning the controls would come in handy one day.

She felt a short lived relief as she opened the doors, only to be replaced with panic as the disgruntled pirate neared in on her. She was about to cover herself to attempt to protect herself from his hook, but she found that he wouldn't even scrape her.

Pongo had lunged forward, biting the crude pirate right in the crotch. The man let out a very unmanly howl of pain as the dog tore into him, lashing his head side from side, jaws locked in on his prey.

Belle backed into the elevator, Pongo's leash forgotten as she fell back against the internal controls. "Pongo!" she cried, fearing that the dog would be left alone with the hooked fiend.

The dog released the pirate, almost pausing to watch the man double over and clutch himself with a pained groan before running into the elevator, barely making it in before the doors snapped shut. Belle slid down to a sitting position, breathing heavily. Panic was everywhere; in her chest, in her brain. She would've lost her breath completely had it not been for Pongo, who had busied himself licking her face and whining.

"I'm okay...we're okay." she informed the dog, wrapping her arms around her spotted friend.

Then the banging started. The hooked pirate was up and bashing on the door, trying to get in. Belle's eyes widened as she looked around for an escape. There was no way. She was boxed in. If that man got in somehow...Pongo may be able to protect her, but the pirate would have a better chance of harming both Belle and Pongo.

_If you need me for anything, call me as I showed you how do to. _

She yanked out the cell phone, fumbling to dial his number and press _send_.

She waited what felt like hours for him to finally pick up, her heart racing as the banging grew louder and more insistent.

"Hey Belle." his voice was relaxed, happy. Belle couldn't even put it into words how relieved she was in that moment.

"Rumple, I'm at the library. There's a pirate here with a hook...he's trying to kill me. I'm in the elevator!" she gushed out at once, clinging to Pongo as if he was the only thing keeping the pirate away from her.

"Belle? I can't_-bzzzt-_library-_bzzzt-_Belle?" his voice broke off into static.

"Hello? H-Hello?!" she cried. When she only resumed to hear the static, she snapped the phone shut, hugging onto Pongo with both arms as she gave a whimper. The dog rested his head upon her shoulder, tail still as he let Belle cling to him, fear radiating from her.

Even when the banging paused, she remained where she was for what felt like years. After a long while, she heard another clang and lifted her head, breathing heavily. Had he come back? Had he found a way?

The door opened to reveal Rumplestiltskin, looking extremely distressed. "Belle!" he sighed in relieve, extending his arms to her as she ran and threw herself into them, giving a sob.

"It's okay now, he's gone." Rumple soothed, rubbing her back.

"He almost caught me." she breathed, refusing to let go. "Pongo...stopped him."

Rumplestiltskin looked over her shoulder to shoot a grateful look to the dog who was at their side, tail hesitantly wagging. "Good boy." he murmured, parting from Belle to give the dog a pat on the head.

Belle gave a relieved laugh, looking to Rumplestiltskin. "He...bit him, well...I'm not sure if the man will be able to have children."

Rumpelstiltskin gave a bark of a laugh, wishing so desperately that he could've seen the scene himself. He looked to Pongo, knowing that the dog's eagerness to chew on the pirate toy had been a good sign.

Rumplestiltskin knew it wouldn't be the last of Hook, but the man wouldn't have the chance to even recover. Rumple wouldn't give him that time.

Perhaps he'd let Pongo at him again.

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**I can't express how much fun I had writing this chapter. I love adding in little back things that the writers never really told us, like Belle's straight hair or the cellphone. **

**But most of all, I enjoyed writing Hook getting bitten in the junk by our lovely spotted friend. ;D **

**Thanks for reading, dearie!**

**Review if you desire to do so!**


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